Greatest Threat to Queen Elizabeth I: Past Paper

[What was the greatest threat to Queen Elizabeth I in her early reign?] **['Illegitimacy was the main threat to Queen Elizabeth early in her reign' How far do you agree?]** I disagree with the statement that illegitimacy was the main threat to Elizabeth even though there were other factors that we...

[What was the greatest threat to Queen Elizabeth I in her early reign?] **['Illegitimacy was the main threat to Queen Elizabeth early in her reign' How far do you agree?]** I disagree with the statement that illegitimacy was the main threat to Elizabeth even though there were other factors that were just as important, for example the threat of invasion from abroad; Mary Queen of Scots and the religious division of England at the start of her reign. The biggest threat to Elizabeth was Mary Queen of Scots as she was a Catholic and was seen to be more legitimate than Elizabeth. Queen Elizabeth's perceived illegitimacy was undeniably a major threat to her rule. This was an issue as seventy percent of the population were Catholics, who believed the marriage between her parents should never of happened and that they also believed that her mother, Anne Boleyn, had committed adultery; which would impact Elizabeth's claim to the throne even more as this would increase the belief that she was illegitimate. Illegitimacy was a major threat to Elizabeth as the majority of her country did not see her as the true ruler and did not afford her the same religious loyalty as they would for another monarch. This is an issue as it could open possibilities for religious rebellion against Elizabeth and overthrow her regime. Despite the religious divide caused by her supposed illegitimacy, the Pope recognised her claim to the throne; being the last surviving Tudor, which helped to cement her claim to the throne and the development of the Religious Settlement also cemented Elizabeth as the Queen of England. However, illegitimacy is not the biggest threat to her rule, even if it is a major contributing factor. A bigger threat to Elizabeth's reign was Mary Queen of Scots, as Mary was a Catholic and was supported by both France and Spain. This is a major threat to Elizabeth, as the Catholics in England would try to replace her with Mary Queen of Scots and return the country to Catholicism. Mary Queen of Scots was the biggest threat to Elizabeth, because she was a devout Catholic and was legitimate; which would shadow Elizabeth's claim to the throne as there was severe doubt about her legitimacy due to the execution of her mother for committing adultery. Mary Queen of Scots was the biggest threat to Elizabeth as she posed the threat of invasion from either France or Spain, which were both heavily Catholic countries. If England was invaded from overseas; the Catholics in England would help overthrow Elizabeth and place Mary Queen of Scots on the throne. This would be the biggest issue as Elizabeth was outnumbered by the other European powers who were heavily Catholic. The aim of invasion from France or Spain was to restore Catholicism to the country and restore it to the way it was before Henry VIII's break from Rome. The threat of invasion from abroad and Mary Queen of Scots is the biggest threat to Elizabeth's reign as it also ties into the issue of bad finances and debt that Elizabeth inherited when she became queen. This is more serious as a threat compared to any other threat as Elizabeth's life is at stake as a combined Catholic rebellion with a full scale invasion from overseas and could result in England being ruled by a foreign monarch who is a Catholic and Elizabeth being executed. Another factor that could be considered to be one of the biggest threats to Elizabeth's reign was the bad finances and debts in England. This is quite important because without the money to build an army. Elizabeth had no way to defend herself from the threat of overseas invasion. This is much more serious than the threat of illegitimacy as Elizabeth had no proper way to control the country in case of emergency because if an invasion was to occur, Elizabeth had no way to defend herself.